20th ANNIVERSARY: 20 Arts and Culture Grants

Jennifer Grafe and three young art collectors admire a decorative sculpture at the Creative Arts Guild's annual FESTIVAL.

From listening to a spirited bluegrass band play at Burr Performing Arts Park to browsing the expansive cowboy art collection at the Booth Western Art Museum to exploring the whimsical stone structures of Calhoun’s Rock Garden, our region celebrates creative expression with a healthy appreciation for music, visual arts, dance, and plays.

Promoting the arts is part of who we are, and our Foundation places great importance on partnering with and assisting organizations and projects that advocate for arts and culture.

To commemorate our twenty-year history of advancing local philanthropy, we are posting special reflections for twenty weeks. Today, we present a selection of twenty Community Foundation grants that have helped fuel the vibrant arts and culture scene in Northwest Georgia.

1. Artistic Civic Theatre (ACT) — in 2013, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to help fund the replacement of the ACT stage.

2. Gordon Central Performing Arts — in 2013, the Calhoun-Gordon affiliate awarded a grant to help bring professional voice coaches to Gordon Central High School to work privately with students in the performing arts program at the school.

3. Bluegrass Bands Helping Hands — in 2013, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to help fund the Woodsongs Coffee House Concert Series fundraiser (proceeds benefiting the DEO Clinic).

4. Art of Giving — in 2013, the Foundation awarded a grant to host the Art of Giving competition, which invited members of the community to create art that demonstrated a “giving community.”

5. Seventh-day Adventist Church (The Rock Garden) — in 2013, the Calhoun-Gordon affiliate awarded a grant to help build a large, raised gazebo in The Rock Garden allowing the garden to be used for events like concerts and weddings.

7. Creative Arts Guild — in 2014, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to the Creative Arts Guild to help fund their summer FESTIVAL. Through the years, our Foundation has awarded thousands of dollars in grants to help the CAG continue their mission of promoting the arts throughout Northwest Georgia.

8. Oscar N. Jonas Foundation — in 2014, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to help fund the ON Jonas Foundation’s Artist in Residency Program to help expose students in Whitfield and Murray County schools to the arts.

9. Royal Oaks — in 2014, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to help fund “An Exploration of Appalachian Culture Through Arts” program, which included bluegrass music, Celtic music, and pottery demonstrations.

10. 1000 Words — Dalton Public Art Project—in 2015, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to help fund public art projects and murals around Dalton.

11. Booth Western Art Museum — in 2015, the Cartersville-Bartow affiliate awarded a grant to help with transportation costs to bring buses of children from schools to the museum to experience the collection. Through the years, the Foundation has awarded several grants to the Booth to help promote art appreciation throughout the region.

12. Downtown Dalton Development Authority — in 2015, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to help fund the Liberty Tree Festival, a music and arts and crafts festival that draws thousands of visitors each year.

13. Burr Performing Arts Park — in 2018, in partnership with the Dalton Convention and Visitors Center and the Downtown Dalton Development Authority, the Foundation awarded a grant to help fund thirteen performances at the new Burr performing Arts Park.

14. Bartow Arts Guild — in 2005, our Catersville-Bartow affiliate awarded a gift to the Bartow Arts Guild to help them fulfill their mission of promoting the arts.

15. Woodland High School Drama Department — our Cartersville-Bartow affiliate awarded a grant to help fund a program sponsored by the drama department at Woodland High.

16. Calhoun Arts Council — In 2009, our Calhoun-Gordon affiliate awarded a grant to help further the mission of the Calhoun Arts Council in Gordon County.

17. Pumphouse Players — the Cartersville-Bartow affiliate awarded a grant to the Pumphouse Players, one of Georgia’s oldest community theatre groups.

18. Howard Finster’s Paradise Gardens — the Foundation awarded a grant to help Paradise Gardens to open the other side of their Air Bed & Breakfaast, which they use to raise funds to maintain Finster’s art garden and surrounding structures.

19. Thrive Regional Partnership — In 2017, the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant to the Partnership to help further its visioning work in Northwest Georgia.

20. Dalton Little Theatre — the Dalton-Whitfield affiliate awarded a grant a few years ago to restore the theatre seats at the Dalton Little Theatre.

Thank you for being part of the Foundation’s history. Please help us share our story by sharing our posts with others. And as always, if we can be of service to you, your family, or your company, please contact us at (706) 275-9117.